Refuge(150)

Tears pricked my eyes, and I looked away from the bodies. My life used to be about healing and helping others. Now it was all about killing and destruction. My chest ached and I longed for the days of watching movies at Roland’s house and hanging out at the cliffs with Remy. Back then my greatest worry was keeping my secret from Nate and my friends. Now I was afraid of losing one of them.

The main hall was pristine and untouched. Thankfully, none of the vampires had been able to breach the building. Even so, I would not be able to rest until I saw that Nate was okay.

“Sara!” Nate raced down the stairs, and the sight of him safe and unharmed made the last two hours seem like some unreal nightmare. He was shaking when he pulled me into a bone-crushing hug. “I saw you out there with those things, and I thought . . . ”

“It’ll take more than a few vampires and their pets to take us down,” I said with as much lightness as I could muster. He could never know how close he had come to watching us all die. I’d dragged him into this new world, and I had to shelter him from as much of it as I could.

Two younger warriors appeared behind Nate eying the witch. “He stays with me,” I told them. They started to protest, but I stood firm. “We need him to help the people he hurt. Don’t worry, he won’t hurt anyone else.” I gave the boy a pointed look. “Will you?”

The witch shook his head and stared at the floor. I’d be afraid to meet the eyes of the people whose home I had attacked, too. He looked so young and vulnerable despite the tattoos, and it pulled at my heart for a few seconds. Then I remembered Olivia and Mark and I hardened again. Sometimes, the lines blurred between good and evil, and this was definitely one of those times. I wanted to hate him for what he’d done, but he was just a boy scared for his own family. I sighed inwardly. It was another reason why I would never be a good warrior.

Roland and Peter disappeared upstairs to change back and dress, and the rest of us went to the medical ward. The healers were busy tending to several injured people when we got there. No one was happy to see the witch, but I assured them he was no longer a threat. We deposited Chris in one of the rooms, and then Jordan and I went to get treated for our own injuries. The boy stayed with me, and he was very subdued, trailing behind me quietly.

A healer gave me some pants and a long-sleeved top to change into, and I went behind a screen to pull off my wet clothes. I longed for a shower, but I settled for warm, dry clothes and washing my face in the sink. I wasn’t going anywhere until I knew the fate of the warriors out in the woods.

Nate stayed with me while the healer treated and wrapped my arm and gave me some of the dreaded gunna paste. He and the healer wanted me to rest, but there was no way I could lay still with so many people hurt and missing. I promised to take it easy and went in search of Chris. I found him resting in a bed with his color almost restored. His face lit with a smile when I remarked on how much better he looked.

“Gunna paste never fails.”

I made a face at the taste still lingering in my mouth. “We’re lucky they have lots of it on hand.”

His gaze flicked to the witch, and he grew sober. “You saved my life out there.”

“Now we’re almost even,” I returned lightly. “Besides, what is family for?”

Jordan came in with Roland and Peter, and I could not help but smile when I heard the three of them sharing battle stories like old friends. Maybe they had more in common than just me. The boys told how us they had chased the blond female for a good three miles before they took her down. They came back looking for us and followed our scents to the river.

Jordan and I took up the story and told them about our swim in the river and everything that had happened after. She grew very quiet when I talked about Olivia and Mark. She didn’t let her guard down much, but I could tell she was hurting a lot.

It was over an hour later when Nikolas and the others returned carrying Seamus, Niall, and Ben, who were taken to a ward where the healers could tend to them all at once. I grabbed the boy witch by the arm and pushed past everyone crowding outside the door. Desmund stood just inside the doorway and the pain on his face told me how bad it was before I looked at the men. If anyone knew what they were suffering it was him.

I had to hold back a cry when I saw the twins’ pale faces and blank staring eyes. Beside them, Ben moaned and pulled at his hair until two healers restrained him. I shoved the boy forward. “Fix them,” I ordered in a choked voice.

The healers working on Ben backed up when we approached the bed. Everyone else gave us a wide berth as we stood by the bed and the boy laid a hand on Ben’s forehead. The effect was almost immediate. Ben’s hands fell to his sides, and in less than thirty seconds, his moaning stopped and color began to return to his face.